Tech Care for the Homeless – TechCrunch

Welcome to TechCrunch Mixtape with Megan Rose Dickey and me. This week we talk about mental illnesses in the homeless population, especially about how people can help in situations that are usually addressed by the police.

Necr Shah, CEO of Concrn, joined us in the studio talking about the ups and downs and re-directing an app that lacks the appeal of many Silicon Valley newbies.

Concrn referred to as the "Compassionate Alternative to 91

1," allows users to report to a homeless person in need of mental illness. A call to Concrn will not affect 911, but the trained staff will be alerted to de-escalate the situation, ensure its safety, and hopefully keep it out of the system.

"I started working in homeless services; I started helping people find work, "says Shah. "And one of the things that struck me was that some individuals from the homeless community were fully capable – they just had to be associated with services, coupled with job opportunities. Make yourself a little bit. "

The company has experienced some growing pains in its relatively short life. It tried to work with the San Francisco police last fall, but the partnership never came to fruition.

"We have a break [in San Francisco] and have been there since December," says Shah. "At first I was discouraged because I felt we somehow failed there. What I became more aware of is that from today's point of view, SF is not exactly a good place to operate. "

The company turned its attention to the smaller city across the bay.

I feel the Oakland community was generally more open to this.

Shah was also on a podium at Disrupt SF on creating a lifeline in communities. Look at it below. Click on play above to hear this week's episode.

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